How products can serve humanity vs exploit it

I frequently write articles in this blog about companies that merchandise their products through actions of good. There is so much brilliance buried in companies that, if tapped into, can address some real issues that plague the environments in which they operate. Therefore, I wanted to share examples of two Brands, Samsung and Surf(a Unilever product) that have put their internal mind-muscle to brilliant use.

The typhoon Haiyan disaster in the Philippines shook the world because the suffering was too noticeable. People having little to begin with, were ripped away everything they had. Many didn’t even have support to bury their loved one, let alone find a place to bury them. In the midst of all this pain and suffering also came the reality that there was great difficulty in getting regular clean water because the infrastructure was levelled.Surf found an ingenious way of using debris to create a filtration system that turns grey water (that has soap from washing) into clean water. Have a look.

Samsung recently launched its eMotion Project which aims at using its virtual reality product to show that technology can be medicine. We too quickly envision all this type of tech primarily being used for entertainment and don’t realise that its power can be used for profound good. These types of actions help demonstrate to consumers that the intent of the organisation is not solely financial and superficial. In turn, consumers will gain respect and a deeper interest in the company which will ultimately help in driving greater awareness and ultimately consideration.